Contents

Common Human Values and their Role

in Furthering Solidarity among Peoples

and Nations

His Eminence Sheikh Mohamed Ali Taskhiri(*)

Introduction

In any definition we give to civilization, we have to admit that the human feature, i.e. possessing the ability to serve Man and develop his subjective and accidental skills, is undoubtedly, its most important component.

No sect, plan or even simple behavior can be described as civilizational unless it is beforehand characterized as human.

Through the understanding of the spirit, and without the need to resort to inference, the human feature associates the belief with an array of absolute and common values. We cannot, therefore, assume relativity in everything, and assume the presence of human attributes, because this implies some kind of contradiction. Acknowledging, on the one hand, that the human being has a partly, if not wholly, distinguished identity, and rejecting any differentiation or invariant values in this human being, on the other.

What is this distinctive invariant value?

The emotional answer -and I emphasize on its emotionality, because that spares us inference- is the human nature.

Nature means that Man is a divine creation upon whose existence and authentic nature the divine wisdom has bestowed a variety of evident questions, mental skills, preferences and instincts that ensure for him a natural continuation towards the integration that is designed for him.

The civilization, sects and religions came only to stimulate the minds -as Imam Ali said- and prepare the adequate atmosphere for the emergence of these latent competences to show him a path entirely different from the behavior of un-reasoning animals.

As to evident propositions, which enable him to acquire knowledge, i.e. knowledge of himself, of the globe, of reality, of existential philosophy and of the connection between things such as belief in the principle of causality, and of the impossibility of contradictories (gathering contradictories, or elevation of contradictories and other questions), they are well rooted in the human conviction and spirit. They do not need inference, because it would lead to a deadlock, as inference itself depends obviously on these very questions.

As to mental skills, they are indeed the same as the capability of the human soul to meditate, think and uncover things to move from the stage of particularities to the stage of universalities and make comparisons to formulate new conceptions and plan for future stages. These mental skills are peculiar to Man, and they explain his integration, creativity and development.

The instinctive tendencies lead him to integration and to taking advantage of his competences in this field.

One of these tendencies, is Man’s endeavour to reach absolute integration, through removing the flaws of his existence and through worshipping God appropriately, the Absolute and Capable, and thanking Him for His kind deeds. Such behaviors are inherent in the nature of Man, although they differ from one person to another and might be buried under suspicions.

There is also that tendency of self-loving and trying to realize one’s ambitions. It is one of the authentic instincts in Man, which cannot be overcome or defeated as Marxism once thought it was a mere superficial phenomenon that can be disposed of from the human existence through abolishing property.

Another tendency is art appreciation and joy for beauty elements that abound in this world. Building on the above, we can deduce that the question of belief in the human nature paves the way for discussing a number of concepts such as rights, duties equity, humaneness, ethics, general art appreciation, common values, civilization, dialogue, religion, knowledge, credit, logic and even evidence and inference and science because both of them depend on an unchanged element that delimits their boundaries.

In the case of disbelief in this theory, Man remains locked inside himself, and can only communicate with his mental conceptions, as George Parkley said. We can even say that he cannot believe in himself, which is the ultimate level of void.

Without believing in this theory, discussing the above idea, in my view, becomes meaningless. This is a truth which strongly confronted the materialist trends. Hence, the Islamic texts came to emphasize the instinct, and the fact that the true religion is in harmony with this instinct because it is an authentic truth, and religion is a project to reform the human being. Allah says:

“So set thou thy face steadily and truly to the Faith: (establish) Allah’s handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: no change (let there be) in the work (wrought) by Allah. That is the standard Religion”(1). This verse confirms what martyr Imam Sader wrote in his book “Our Economy”, p. 312.

1- Religion (including its right, duties and conception for equity) is relevant to the human nature in which Man was made, no change in the work done by Allah.

2- This religion, in the form of which Man was made, is solely the pure Islamic religion, while the other religions that venerate several Gods or worship illusionary Gods cannot solve the problems of humanity.

Prophet Josef said to his inmates: “If not Him, ye worship nothing but names which ye have named, -ye and your fathers,- for which Allah hath sent down no authority”(2).

3- Islam, on whose pattern mankind was created, is distinguished by being a standard religion that is capable to control life and draw its general framework.

The most important social issue in the history of mankind is the contradiction that arises between personal interests -they make a person think he/she has a right based on his/her self-loving- and social interests, laid down by the social system, in which the human being lives, and which imposes on him “duties” towards these interests in the name of “equity”. Science was unable to solve this opposition between personal and social interests, but the human knowledge would not stop short of redressing personal interests’ overweight. As to the historic materialism, it could not, through its historic laws, find the solution.

Religion, therefore, is the only one to have the final solution to this contradiction, and to achieve equity through finding the link between personal interests and the path of goodness, as Allah says: “he that works a righteous deed -whether man or woman- and is a Believer -such will enter the Garden (of Bliss): Therein will they have abundance without measure.”(3), and He says: “Whoever works righteousness benefits his own soul; whoever works evil, it is against his own soul”(4).

Therefore, the personal and the social interests, including rights and duties are perfectly welded together.

In this regard, late martyr Sader says:

“The human nature has, therefore, two facets. On the one hand, it spurs up the subjective impulses of Man, which create the biggest social problem in his life (problem of contradiction between these impulses and the human society’s real interests), and, on the other hand, it helps Man solve this problem by his natural tendency to religiosity”(5).

I would also add that Man naturally aspires for change; change for a better life. This natural tendency might wind down occasionally, but it never disappears from his soul. Man has, indeed, the potential to get rid of the pressure of his reality and from a global, or even a detailed, conception of a better situation which he would endeavour to realize. Such a potential does not exist in animals. This is how the change grows to bestow the civilizational characteristic upon the human life.

I can, consequently, confirm that the civilizational process needs, at all its stages, belief in invariant values as follows.

1- In the stage of Man’s belief in himself;

2- In stage of moving to the outside world;

3- In the stage of conceiving thoughts and formulating a picture of the present and the future towards a change for the better;

4- In the stage of conveying the idea to others and receiving their ideas;

5- In the stage of exploration, division, scrutiny and discussion;

6- In the stage of deduction and conviction;

7- In the stage of planning for change;

8- In the stage of implementing the change.

Conclusion:

There if a close correlation between the process of the human altering civilization, and the process of dialogue and belief in absolute common values.

Common Values are Absolute and Necessary:

Be means of the psychological and spiritual analysis adopted in this process, we can realize the existence of two systems of values. One of them has an absolute impact, and is not affected by any circumstances. The second consists of the values of the natural state (or the authentic nature), which means that they change to the opposite, or lose the required impact in different circumstances.

Examples of the First System:

Equity. It is a required value in all circumstances;

Expressing thanks to Allah;

Examples of the Second System:

Preserving oneself, preserving dignity, co-operation, protecting the weak, preserving peace and security, changing for the better, mercy, abnegation and faith.

Truthfulness might, in some cases be unjust, because of the consequences that might result from it. Similarly, peace might lead to breaching human sanctities. Therefore, if equity is an absolute value, peace is a relative value, which should be observed if it becomes one of the aspects of equity, and rejected if it becomes unjust. The major question, however, is the following: what are the criteria of equity? And how to make sure equity is implemented?

All divine religions insist on two criteria:

1- Worship criterion through which we take advantage of absolute knowledge of Allah, incorporated in the invariant teachings of religion, which we are sure emanate from Allah, because we are convinced, beforehand, of His absolute knowledge, and His kindness towards and mercy upon mankind. We are also convinced of His justice, because He does not deceive mankind, but shows him the truth.

2- A spiritual criterion that reveals itself through meditation in the deepest convictions. In other words, going back to the nature itself.

What helps us discover this instinctive deepness is that this conviction -any conviction- accompanies the human nature. This is why this conviction exists in all human beings in the different personal and social circumstances, at all times and in all places.

To be sure of this meaning, we can ask any person the following question: Do you consider such and such behavior a human or an animal behavior? Let us focus, for example on killing orphans and weak people for amusement or pleasure. This is, certainly a barbarous behavior, and the Holy Qur’an sometimes takes the human being back to his spiritual and natural conviction when allah says: “(all) things good and pure made lawful unto you" (6). He leaves for the human being the task of identifying the “good things”. And He says: “my Lord hath indeed forbidden are: shameful deeds” (7) and leaves the task of identifying the “shameful things” for him too. Allah also considers breaking off the human state a disobedience and a deviation from nature. He says: “those who forgot Allah; and He made them forget their own souls!”(8).

Consequently, we deduce the following reality: Religions believe in the human nature, and nature conforms that equity is an absolute requirement and that peace is also required if it is one of the aspects of equity. Hence, the constant emphasis on the fact that “equitable peace” is a perfectly human value.

Stance as to the International Peace

As said above, security is a human natural requirement grounded in the most important instinct in Man, namely self-loving. This instinct works in harmony with many others to ensure the balanced movement of Man towards his sublime and complete objectives. The instinctive impulses do not suffice to ensure the balanced movement. It is necessary to provide a natural atmosphere for the individual soul and the specific soul to be pushed towards its desired goals.

Emphasizing on nature’s keenness to ensure and secure this atmosphere, we find that the Providence has endowed it with wisdom, tendency towards equity and abhorrence of injustice. The Providence has also provided nature with the ability to identity the criteria of equity and injustice, which paves the way for it to communicate with and worship the Creator. At that moment, it can receive revelation and uncover the divine, merciful message that gives it the complete plan of its movement to reach its objectives.

Security, therefore, is a constant human requirement that does not change following circumstances. It cannot be said, then that it is dependent on a social situation, and would, consequently, change if this situation changes. Building on this, we can conceive the need for a global system that protects the personal and social security during the long human life.

We cannot conceive a framework to the issue of protecting peace and security but within the issue of the human integration, after understanding that nature is the criterion of all human rights in their largest acceptance, and that it has imposed the protection of human security to achieve the most important objective. In that case, security would not accept any definition, unless it becomes an anti-security element, when, therefore, its protection loses its meaning.

Otherwise, how can we conceive the nature that announced the need for security while it allows the individual to destroy his own security or that of others, destroying, ultimately, the security of humanity as a whole without deterring him even through threatening his own security?

The Multi-dimensional Inter-faith Dialogue

Based on the above, we can clearly confirm that multi-dimensional dialogue between religions is possible because:

1- All religions believe in the principle and the repercussions of the human nature;

2- All religions believe in several common values, which evidences the similarity between fundamental rules. This is shown in the fact that Muslim writers have quoted the general teachings of the Messiah, and they considered them as Islamic teachings(9).

Two Christian scholars have kindly prepared a good research about the common values and rules of legal regulation. They came out with good conclusions, in which they said: “Suffice it ponder about the question that many men and women ask when they want to live according to their belief: What is God’s will? What do I have to do? It seems that the three divine religions give the same answer”(10).

All of them confirm, at the end, the unity of people in God.

All religions call for logical dialogue. As religions are the essence of civilizations, dialogue between them opens the way for a genuine dialogue between civilizations that includes all aspects of life, and steers civilizational dialogue towards a more humane direction.

The Role of Values in the Dialogue between Civilizations

Based on the above, I can say that the natural running of humanity required the prevalence of dialogue between civilizations, as these clearly hold the marks of nature, whether they admit it philosophically or reject it(11). This is why these civilizations have some aspects in common that make dialogue possible.

I also argued above that religions are the essence of civilizations -although civilizations might deny it- therefore, the impact of religions is clear, and they open the way, through the common aspects between them, to a joint dialogue between civilizations.

Furthermore, there is this long-standing truth that has grown stronger and which represents the relation of interests between humanity and the construction of earth.

This link was expressed in the aspirations of all world religions, and of the greatest conquerors since the dawn of time. It was so much strengthened along ages that we now liken the world to a small village. Actually, the world did not shrink, but our understanding of the correlation between its components has made us reach this conclusion.

No country can now plan individually for its environment, energy, aviation and maritime regulations, transportation, intelligence, or even its education, culture, renaissance, economy and defense.

The move towards globalization is, therefore, natural, and should be encouraged and not hindered. Our opposition to globalization as a dangerous challenge, is, in fact, ascribed to the fact that this trend serves the interests of the superpower. In other words, globalization will be pulling the strings to the benefit of one nation. It also implies the Americanization of political, economic, cultural and social relations, by all coercive means. Hence, its appellation; wild or crazy globalization.

At any rate, dialogue is the pre-requisite for correlation within humanity, and mankind has no alternative but dispute, which is undoubtedly an inhuman choice.

It is, therefore, necessary to confirm mankind’s humanity through enhancing human values inside him. I will, hereunder, address examples of these values.

Examples of Common Values that should Prevail

1. The logical Values of Dialogue:

These values are invariant in all circumstances. Dialogue should, therefore, be based on assumptions that are agreed upon beforehand.

The two parties, should be knowledgeable of the subject. They need to engage in dialogue with the aim if seeking the truth. As to the subject of dialogue, it has to be perfectly clear, and practical, not utopian.

Dialogue has to be launched in an atmosphere of freedom, away from pressure, violence, deceit and intimidation.

I can confidently say that the Holy Qur’an has mentioned all these unchangeable dialogue values.

2. The Values, standards and Range of Equity

Although opinions might oppose each other, there are areas that remain unquestionable. For example, nobody contests the idea of giving peoples their rights. Nobody contests that it is unfair to divest peoples of their rights in a land to live on, or in self-determination. No body contests that development and appropriate investment of resources is a laudable thing…

It is then important to find these areas and enlarge their scope, and enhance commitment to the values they represent.

3. Agreement on Man’s basic rights, and endeavouring to enlarge this agreement to include the other rights. This is not a difficult enterprise if there are good intentions, because it implies searching in the spiritual depth and values of the human being.

4. Agreement on the boundaries of freedom, and trying to translate them into clear ideas and practical applications.

5. Building on the human values to identify destructive ideologies such as terrorism, racism, totalitarianism, colonization…

6. Identifying and disseminating the principles of environmental security.

7. Agreement on the principles of good art in such a way to serve humanity and unlock its potentials.

8. Identifying the social values and the requirements of a healthy society, free from irregularities.

9. Agreement on a plan to meet challenges such as disease, poverty, ignorance and illiteracy. Planning to reduce the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, fires…

10. Enacting common international regulations about navigation, transportation, information…

11. Creating international institutions with equal standards.

12. Creating practical mechanisms to promote solidarity and generalize human responsibility regarding peace process and equity dissemination.

Together to Generalize the Concept of Dialogue

At the end of this brief writing, I should like to earnestly call for promoting the concept of dialogue since there is a strong belief that this concept is advocated by wisdom, nature and healthy minds, contrary to heedless sentiments, abhorrent fanaticism and self-imprisonment in the past.

In this regard, I call for forming a group of thinkers from all knowledge fields to prepare the atmosphere for this generalization, and to sketch the necessary plan for it. I suggest this group be named “Universal Moderation”. This appellation is inspired from the concept of “Islamic Moderation”. It is based on my belief that the comprehensive meaning of this “moderation” includes my own conception of existence (as a balanced existence) the balanced stance of Man in this regard, and my conception of history and the elements that have an impact on it, in addition to its being an expression of the Islamic nature and my stance about it.

Based on this moderate logic, I suggest that the international plan include the following:

1. Calling for the genuine clearing out of the confusion between contradictory dualities such as existence and nothingness, monotheism and polytheism, absolutism and relativity… and the artificial dualities such as considering oneself the Good and the other Evil; either fighting terrorism or the whole world; either you are a Marxist or you do not understand Marxism; I am a monotheist and the other is polytheist; I am civilized and the other is barbaric; my principles are rooted in history and the other’s must be wiped out; either me or barbarism… The first set can be agreed upon though Marxists would doubt it, while the second set is some sort of intellectual petrifaction reached through an operation of a mental, psychological historic and nervous “stimulation”, which changes “relative” things into “absolute” ones, thus impeding all intellectual efforts, and preventing any chance of development. Yes! We have to bow to the above common human values, which are proved by spirituality.

2. Endeavoring to disseminate the spirit of conscientious opening up on the present, and quitting imprisonment in the past, or in the theories that were accepted knowing they might have loopholes.

3. Endeavoring to generalize the idea that civilizations certainly draw some of their components from nature, or at least keep this idea as a possibility, which would enable us to launch dialogue.

4. Widening the concept of intellectual development and modern creativity, and denying the influence of the idea which says that creativity reached its limits.

5. Generalizing the human common conscience of the dangers that threaten humanity, regardless of civilizations, nationalities or regions, such as disease, ignorance, lack of morality, environment damaging, family dissolution, and violence…

6. Calling for adopting rationality and rejecting violence, as this latter hamper calm reasoning in all ideologies.

7. Endeavoring to reach a compromise between globalization and clinging to the cultural characteristics. This middle choice ensures the success of globalization. On the one hand, it would not be hindered by serious obstacles, and, on the other hand, it would preserve the diversity of humanity. Therefore, we would have implemented the philosophical principles that says: unity is the source of diversity.

8. The need to teach people that nations’ interests are part of our values. At that moment, there would not be a contradiction between values and interests, which would pave the way for dialogue.

9. Enhancing objectivity in Man to eradicate racist superiority, while avoiding to emphasize the distinctive civilizational values as the peak of civilizational productivity, and rejecting other values as backward.

I would like, before the end of this writing, to emphasize that there are, in my view, several reasons to have hope in the future. I would cite, among these reasons: The international acceptance of dialogue between civilizations, the consecutive meetings since the 1930s on different levels, the acceptance of the various religious authorities of dialogue, the movement towards morality, the widespread information technologies that unveil the truths. All these elements omen an ideal future, in spite of the challenges of globalization, superiority theories, blatant injustice against peoples, occupation, personal and official terrorism, and double standards. This optimism stems from the belief that the powers of good will prevail according to Allah’s will.

(*) Secretary General of the World Forum of Rapprochment between Islamic Madhahib, Iran

(1) Qur’an

(2) Qur’an : 12-40

(3) Qur’an : 40-40

(4) Qur’an : 41-46

(5) “Our Economy”, pp. 310-312, Mash’had edition

(6) Qur’an : 5-6

(7) Qur’an : 7-33

(8) Qur’an : 59-19

(9) In his famous book " Tuhaf Al Uqul” (Minds’ Masterpieces), Sheikh Ibn Sha’aba Al Hurani (a scholar of the 4th Century of the Hegira) quoted many of the wisdom thoughts and the advices of Jesus.

(10) Professors Adel Khury and Fanuny, a s reported in the minutes of the Iranian-Austrian Joint Forum, organized in Vienna in 1999, p. 360

(11) To clarify this, it was observed that theories that are sceptical about absolute truths in thought or behavior, such as Marxism, or those theories advocated by Freud, Durkheim, Kant or Barkley, all of them back some kind of certainty, otherwise they would have doubted about themselves, which is not the case

Publications of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

-ISESCO- 1428H/2007 A.D